1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to safety equipment useful in rough stock riding and more particularly, safety and positioning equipment useful for shifting an animal's position when in a rodeo chute.
2. Description of Related Art
Rough stock riding, and particularly bull riding, is considered one of the world's most dangerous sports and is known to be as dangerous inside the chute as outside the chute. A bull chute is a narrow rectangular pen, typically made of metal rails or poles. The pen has a narrow front end, a narrow rear end, a long inner side wall that is fixed(bull's left) and, opposite that, a long outer side chute gate that opens (bull's right). The bull enters via the narrow rear end of the chute and faces the narrow front end. Upon cue from the rider, the long outer side gate of the chute opens and the bull rages out.
As the bull is standing in the chute, a number of undesirable things often happen. The bull, knowing that the long outer side gate will soon open, often turns his head toward the gate in anticipation. As he does so his body, and specifically his shoulder area, naturally leans into the back wall of the chute. This is undesirable as the rider cannot insert his left leg between the bull and the chute wall so that he may mount the bull. Even worse the bull rider's leg often becomes pinned between the bull's left side and the rear wall. Significant injuries can result including twisted knees, broken bones and crushing pain.
In an effort to remedy this problem, rodeo staff and cowboys outside of the chute traditionally insert a 2×4 or 4×4 over the top of the wall and push it down between the bull and the wall in an effort to pry the bull's weight off the side of the chute. They may also climb up on the chute wall and put their feet between the rail and the top of the bull, pushing the bull off the wall if possible. These measures are time consuming, difficult and potentially dangerous.
There is a need for a fast yet effective way to shift the weight and position of a large animal, and one specifically designed to shift the position of a bull in a chute.